Examples of a state of the art programmable remote control device are the RC2000 and RC2000MkII, both of Marantz, a subsidiary of Philips Electronics. These devices have the ability to learn commands for typical control functions, and to associate a respective one of the device's buttons with a respective one of the commands learned. The devices can also be programmed to store macros. A macro is a string of commands that describe a series of specific steps to be carried out in sequence. A macro is assigned to a particular button. After the device is put into the macro-creation mode, the user must enter the sequence of steps to be carried out under the macro. Entering a step corresponds to pressing one of the buttons that have already been programmed for a single command. The device has a GUI that gives the user visual feedback during programming. A GUI is an interactive user-interface with graphical representations.
For more information on the operation of the Marantz device see, e.g., the Software Upgrade Booklet for the DVX8000 Multimedia Home Theater of Philips Electronics, pages 25-31, and the User Guide 206W851260 for the RC2000MkII model, pages 22-32, herein incorporated by reference.
For more information on programming of universal remote controls see, for example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/907,284, now allowed, of Philips Electronics, and herein incorporated by reference.